Lupus and Border Collie
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Stephanie Johnson
Posted on: February 27, 2007

I have a border collie that has lupus; what kind of herb would help his immune system?

Lupus Erythematosus can manifest in two forms: discoid, which shows up as lesions on both sides of the face, nose or ears along with hair loss, a change in skin colour and possible redness and scaliness on the skin. The second type, systemic, affects many parts of the body, which can result in polyarthritis, muscle pain, inflamed lymph nodes as well as the possiblity of nervous-based symptoms.

In all immune based conditions, diet is very important. Please see the work of Richard Pitcairn, "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst for further information and recipes. Herbs that are often used to build the immune system in conjunction with a good, homemade diet include: Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous) and Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum). The treatment of any immune based illness is slow and requires the ongoing care and attention of a qualified practitioner. Such a person may be found through the Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (www.vbma.org).

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